NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen and his Jobs Cabinet hit the road today, kicking-off the first in a series of jobs meetings across the state designed to spur regional job growth, particularly in rural communities.

The first stop on Bredesen’s “Hands on Tennessee” tour was in Lawrence County where the Governor and his 12-member Jobs Cabinet met with community and business leaders to discuss the challenges they face in recruiting better paying, higher skilled jobs and in encouraging successful local companies to expand.

“Too often, government gets very insular,” Bredesen said. “By sitting down with local leaders who are on the front lines of community development we all gain better insight into what it will take to really help grow local economies.”

At the Governor’s direction, the Jobs Cabinet will be holding a series of roundtable discussions in communities around the state in the coming months to learn firsthand the challenges facing business and community leaders in their quest to grow and attract new jobs.

During the roundtable meeting at the Murray Inc. plant in Lawrenceburg, Bredesen said: “Tennessee will only succeed economically when all 95 counties prosper. That’s what these meetings are all about – working together to help communities like this one compete for new investment.”

Regional development is one of several areas the new Jobs Cabinet is tackling. The group, created by Executive Order in March, is designed to pool state resources and data to accelerate job creation and business growth statewide. They have also been reassessing Tennessee’s workforce training programs and working to better coordinate efforts to help communities hit hard by mass layoffs through the development of an Economic Strike Force.

Following their meeting, Jobs Cabinet members fanned out across the community to learn more about its economic development assets. This included meetings at the Tennessee Technology Center at Pulaski and Lawrenceburg to discuss cooperative ventures underway between the Board of Regents and local industry, a visit to the area’s adult high school to review workforce training programs, meetings with farmers to discuss the agricultural assets of the communities, a tour of tourism “hot spots” the region offers, a trip to the South .

Central Tennessee Career Center, and a meeting with local TDOT officials about ongoing road and infrastructure improvements underway.

Job creation has been a top priority for the Bredesen Administration. In addition to creating the Jobs Cabinet in March, Bredesen has also made 10 major jobs announcements since taking office, resulting in the creation of approximately 4,000 new jobs statewide.

“We’re already seeing the benefits of a more coordinated approach,” said Jobs Cabinet Chairman and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber. “By getting out into local communities, I’m hopeful we can accelerate those efforts even more.”

Members of the Jobs Cabinet include Commissioner Kisber, Environment and Conservation Commissioner Betsy Child, Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens, Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley, Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely, Education Commissioner Lana Seivers, Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitacker, University of Tennessee President John Shumaker, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Deb Woolley, Tennessee Higher Education Commission Executive Director Richard Rhoda, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning and Tennessee Industrial Development Board President Randy Brewer.